Description

This climb follows the bolts on the face just right of the zig-zagging crack on the Alcatraz Wall. This is the last major crag on the east side of the creek as you head down through Jailhouse Rock. To get there, continue down the creek past the point where it makes a 90 degree left turn below the Cell Blocks. Continue downhill past several bolted routes on the left (40 to Life, Mr. Meanor, & Mug Shot). At the bottom of the hill look up and left to see the Alcatraz Wall.

This face climb is probably the best route on Alcatraz Wall.

Protection

Three bolts, bring a few small/medium stoppers or cams to get you from the 2nd to 3rd bolt. There are chains up top.

I was climbing at Alcatraz Wall on 6/29 and noticed that the waist level belay bolts (cold shuts) had been chopped (not removed, CHOPPED). The foot level belay bolt on the new route between Scarface and Hoosgal is still present. The chopping happened since the last time I climbed there in Jan/Feb.

Very uncool. Wonder if it was the same person who took the pins off Standard Route on Chimney Rock?

"First Ascentionists" can and will do what they want with their own routes! If I recall correctly, those belay bolts were placed by the person that put up those routes. If they are putting these bolts at the base of routes other than their own, removal will most likely be the result!!

A quick note on the topic of bolt disguise...putting rock dust on epoxy usually just creates a mess. The dust just turns dark in the liquid epoxy so it doesn't match the rock color anyway. And liquid epoxy almost always leaves some kind of sheen. The best solution I've found is a tiny piece of dark epoxy PUTTY over the bolt remains. Most people don't even notice it if artfully done. A shot of tan rustoleum to color the putty can make it invisible.

The ethics of Bens "Belay bolts" can be argued, the fact is, they are unsafe for both the belayer and the leader. If the leader falls the belayer does a face plant into the rock. Which could cause said belayer to lose control of the rope dropping the leader. If Ben wants to "keep stuff really safe" those bolts should be back away from the cliff several feet, and the belayer should be tied in with enough cord to move, in case something gets pulled off, but not so much slack as to smack the wall when catching a fall. Ben is doing climbers a disservice by placing his belay bolts. Newbie climbers should be made aware that these bolts are not standard practice and are indeed unsafe.